West Kelowna teen steals Mercedes and that's just where the crime spree began

Kim Anderson

(ADAM PROSKIW / iNFOnews.ca)

August 29, 2016 - 3:09 PM

KELOWNA - A 17-year-old from West Kelowna is facing several charges after taking police on an "overnight crime spree."

The bizarre crimes started in Kelowna and ended in West Kelowna, police say.

Yesterday, Aug. 28, Kelowna RCMP received a call of a stolen Mercedes S430 from the 300 block of Clarissa road., Const. Jesse O’Donaghey says in a media release.

Shortly after, an officer downtown saw the vehicle on Bernard Avenue. When the officer tried to pull the vehicle over, the driver refused to stop and crashed into a parked vehicle on Lawrence Avenue.

Officers arrested two women at the scene of the crash. A male suspect fled the scene on foot. Police used canine units in the search for the runaway suspect.

O’Donaghey says police later responded to a break and enter of a residence on the 700 block of Elliott Avenue after midnight. The homeowner was able to stop two suspects, while one slipped away and fled the scene in the owner's Dodge truck, making off with his wallet, cell phone and keys as well.

“The ongoing RCMP investigation identified a suspect and revealed that both alleged crimes were in fact related,” O’Donaghey says. “With the assistance of a cell phone tracking app, investigators tracked down the stolen Dodge pickup truck and the theft suspect to the area of Creekview Crescent in West Kelowna.”

“Kelowna RCMP and West Kelowna RCMP worked together to arrest their suspect, a 17-year-old West Kelowna youth, without further incident,” Cst. O’Donaghey says. “The youth suspect was found still in possession of the property allegedly stolen during the break and enter on Elliott Avenue.”

Police say he is in custody and faces potential charges of theft, theft of vehicle, break and enter, possession of stolen property and flight from police, among others.

Anyone with any additional information is asked to contact the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300. Remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, leaving a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net or by texting your tip to CRIMES (274637) ktown.

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OPINION At least part of me wasn’t sure I should write this, given what happened last time. It was August 15, 2003 and like many Thursdays before it, I was scratching around for a column idea. The summer newsroom